Archive: July, 2013

When I wake up, my stomach is bloated and full of gas. The gas I pass is loud and long, and embarrassing, but it hurts if I hold it in. What can I do about it?
Dr. Benjamin Krevsky is a professor of medicine and director of gastrointestinal endoscopy at Temple University School of Medicine.
First...
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GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK's) Chinagate scandal of the past few weeks provides some belated insight on the China fantasy that pharma has been peddling to investors for much of the last decade.
The basic pretense that pharma could somehow offset its wave of patent expirations, its dearth of compelling...
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Curtis Skinner

Thursday, July 25, 2013, 12:00 PM

Befitting their namesake for the second consecutive year, residents from Einstein Medical Center's Department of Medicine proved themselves the smartest during the American College of Physicians' national Jeopardy-style competition, "Doctor's Dilemma."
Einstein residents beat 36 teams nationally...
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Evi Heilbrunn

Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 2:26 PM

After World War II, the Nuremberg Code, a set of ethical principles for human experiments, pushed the notion of "informed consent" into the air of medical research. But in the years after its passage in 1947, scientists preyed upon vulnerable populations at an alarming rate, conducting dangerous...
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Judy L. Smetzer, RN

Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 11:00 AM

Vaccine programs for children have been extremely successful against many diseases, including measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and polio. In fact, fewer than 500 children die each year in the United States (US) from diseases that can be prevented with vaccines. However, adults also need vaccines...
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I'm a teen and while playing basketball I felt sharp pains in my scrotum that wouldn't go away. What could it be?
Dr. T. Ernesto Figueroa is the division chief of pediatric urology at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Written with Inquirer staff writer Curtis Skinner.
Spermatic...
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Last week Eli Lilly announced that later this year it would start another late-stage (Phase 3) study of its monoclonal antibody, solanezumab, to test whether it can slow the advance of Alzheimer's disease. A pair of solanezumab Phase 3 trials last year failed to show efficacy in patients with mild-to-moderate...
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Curtis Skinner

Thursday, July 18, 2013, 7:18 PM

Health-policy wonks have long known that the poorest patients tend to use local emergency rooms the most. It has been thought that limited knowledge of the health system was he primary reason.
But a new study out of the University of Pennsylvania shows that poor patients prefer local emergency...
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I snore like a freight train every night, or so says my wife of 50 years. She's concerned I have sleep apnea. Should I see a doctor about it?
Indira Gurubhagavatula is a professor in the division of sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
A: Snoring occurs...
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If you or someone you are caring for has trouble swallowing their pills, be sure to check with your health professional before crushing or splitting them.
It’s not just about bad taste.
In some cases the medicine is coated so it won’t be released in your stomach where it may cause irritation...
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